


Set the Pieces, Let them Fall

by Voidfish



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Found Family, Gen, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 11:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14748015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voidfish/pseuds/Voidfish
Summary: There are pieces of a puzzle that Bruce refuses to realize or recognize on the run. It’s easier that way -  survival is the most important thing. On the run all that matters is how much food you have, and how much time before someone finds you, and how much farther you need to run.There’s no time, on the run, to recognize that something that has always been inside of you is growing louder and louder.Until it explodes, that is.





	Set the Pieces, Let them Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Bruce figures out there are other people in his head and yet the weirdest thing is that Tony won't let him call him family. 
> 
> I'm an alter in a DID system btw so yall know this shit is legit.

There’s a moment where Bruce Banner, 5 years old, watches with horror the scene that surrounds him. And then there’s a passive rage, a feeling he’s never felt before. A feeling he knows is not his.

And then Bruce Banner is pushed out of control of his body.

\---

It’s like shaking yourself awake. One second there’s fog and than it lifts to a scene that Bruce doesn’t recognize. He stares at the notebook in his hand, the pen carefully arched to write something down, and he puts it away. He doesn’t read the writing inside. He doesn’t want to know.

Years later, what feels like a lifetime later, he finds the notebook piled under other, similar notebooks he had at the orphanage. Inside, in shaky letters, is a note:

“Help me,” it reads, signed “H U L - “ and then the writing is gone. 

\---

There are pieces of a puzzle that Bruce refuses to realize or recognize on the run. It’s easier that way -  survival is the most important thing. On the run all that matters is how much food you have, and how much time before someone finds you, and how much farther you need to run.

There’s no time, on the run, to recognize that something that has always been inside of you is growing louder and louder.

Until it explodes, that is.

\---

It’s when he’s safe that the problems occur. It’s when Bruce can finally sit back and breathe that he notices that something is … odd. That he’s losing time, he’s waking up in strange places. He’s leaving notes in shaky handwriting. 

That everything he did to survive on the run, all the quirks, are here to stay. That they’re not something he can ignore anymore.

\---

“Have you ever looked into therapy,” Tony Stark asks one day. 

“When looking it up for you,” is Bruce’s quick reply. “Why, you think I need it?”

“I never said that,” Tony clarifies, holding his hands up in surrender. “To be fair, I meant it, but I certainly didn’t say it.”

Bruce laughs and shakes his head. “I think my, uh, condition, is a little odd for most therapists.”

“On the contrary,” Tony says, fiddling with a piece of machinery. “I think every shrink this side of the globe would be interested in getting into that brain of yours.”

“That doesn’t make me feel much better,” Bruce says, fighting back a smile.

“Tell you what,” Tony says, abandoning his tinkering to instead move towards Bruce. “Let’s say there was a SHIELD therapist. Best in the business, known for dealing with superhero bullshit, even had the honor of diagnosing Cap with PTSD.”

Bruce sighs. “Tony - ”

“Let me finish,” Tony interjects. “I made an appointment for you for Tuesday at 1.” Bruce pinches his nose, but before he can continue Tony speaks up. “And,” he continues, “I made one for me at 2. Figure we can go to lunch? Brunch? Anyway, we can get some food before the appointments.”

Bruce pauses. “Okay,” he finally says.

“Okay?” Tony repeats, somewhat shocked.

“Okay,” Bruce agrees.

“He said yes,” Tony cheers, grinning. “You won’t regret this. Eh, you probably will. Either way, it works out.”

\---

Bruce Banner, after four separate hour long sessions of therapy, is diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and dissociative identity disorder.

It’s strange. He should be panicking, should be afraid, and yet he’s calm. Everything makes sense.

Everyone would ask, “how long has it been since the Hulk formed?” 

And Bruce had no way to explain that before the accident, before radiation, before anything, the Hulk had always been there for as long as he could remember.

\---

Once Bruce gets the diagnosis it’s impossible to ignore. Because the Hulk is in his head, but, Bruce discovers, the Hulk is not the only one. 

He meets the Professor late at night, stressed out of his mind. One minute he can’t breathe, he feels like the world is ending, and then? 

And then he’s gone and there’s someone new in his place.

He wakes up three hours later, down in his lab. There’s research all around him, difficult work that’s been almost simply solved. It’s beautiful.

It’s terrifying. He goes back to his room and tries to figure out what happened, tries to remember things he just can’t. 

“Get some rest,” he hears. “We can discover more about the situation in the morning.”

Bruce lies down, but he can’t sleep. 

\---

Bruce learns more about the Professor in the worst way possible - through Tony.

“You have DID,” Tony greets him one morning in their shared lab, “and you didn’t even tell me.”

“It’s none of your business,” Bruce says.

Tony shakes his head. “I’m your friend,” he says, “you could have at least told me before I met one of them.”

Bruce’s heart sinks. “You met one of them?”

“Yeah, last night, don’t you - ” Tony slaps his head. “Of course you don’t remember. Well, it was the Professor, we had a nice conversation where he scared the shit out of me, and then he solved the hardest problem I had. All in all a pretty good night.”

“I… I don’t know who the Professor is,” Bruce admits.

Tony nods. “Well, I wanna clarify, that’s what he called himself, I would never call someone a professor without seeing their degree in any other situation.” Bruce chuckled. “Really, though, he was nice. JARVIS records all the conversations down here if you want to listen to the recording.”

“That’d be nice,” Bruce says. “Was he … I mean, what was he like?”

“He acted different than you, if that’s what you’re asking.” Tony says. “Wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t introduced himself as ‘The Professor, one of Dr. Banner’s alters, pleasure to finally meet you,’ but after that it was pretty obvious. You talk to Dr. Smith about this?”

Bruce nods. “I got a diagnosis, but to be honest, I didn’t really believe - I don’t know anything about this, Tony.”

“I bought all of the best books on the subject,” Tony reassures. “And I also hired the leading specialist in the world to come over here and give you a look over, if you think it’ll help.”

Bruce nods. “Thanks.”

“I guess this makes the green guy make more sense,” Tony says. “To be honest, I kinda figured something was going on.”

“Really?” Bruce rolls his eyes. “I never would have guessed by how you dragged me to therapy.”

“I’m just saying, unresolved childhood trauma leads to terrible things,” Tony says.

“Like the Hulk?” Bruce jokes.

Tony shakes his head. “I was gonna say a Stark, but sure, the Hulk too. You’re practically family.”

Bruce pauses. “You mean it?”

Tony pales. “Well, that’s too much emotional honesty for me, I’m gonna head out. Seeya, green giant.”

Before Bruce can speak, can say “you’re like a brother to me, too” Tony is gone.

\---

Bruce figures out about Joe Fixit through notes. 

Some of them are mildly concerning, but fairly alright.

One day Bruce wakes up with a headache and a note that reads: “Your friends are bad at poker - Joe” and he is terrified.

\---

“How bad was it,” Bruce asks as he nervously picks at a quiche.

“I mean for me it was hilarious, but everyone else was just kind of confused,” Tony says, cutting eagerly into his pancakes. “No offense, Banner, but you couldn’t beat me at poker if you made a formula for it.” Tony pops a forkful of pancake into his mouth. “Joe, though? Joe was really good. Like, scary good.”

“He introduced himself?”

Tony shakes his head. “Just to me. I asked him after, wanted to formally introduce myself. The fucker seemed to appreciate it, although I think he was just smug because he won my watch off me. You think you can give it back to me?”

Bruce frowns. “I don’t really, I’m not really in control right now.”

“You gotta work on that,” Tony says. “The best approach is to talk to everyone and see what they want.”

“Self-help books?” Bruce asks.

Tony laughs. “Well, help books; they’re not exactly for me.”

Bruce smiles.  “You got a point there,” he admits. “You don’t gotta do the research for me, though, I’ll figure it out.”

“No, you’ll wait until someone develops their own body. Again. And besides, you’re - ” Tony paused. “You’re a, you’re something. I gotta go powder my nose, be right back.”

Bruce sighs, sinking into his seat before stealing part of Tony’s pancake.

\---

Bruce comes to sitting on the floor, holding tight onto the hand of Tony Stark. 

“Just breathe, alright?” Tony says, eyes wide. “You’re gonna be alright.”

“Tony?” Bruce asks.

“Bruce? Thank god,” Tony replies. “I can’t handle kids. Someone should ban me from ever talking to people less than eighteen years old ever again.”

“There was a kid?” Bruce says, catching his breath, trying to control his shaking hands.

“Said he was ten years old,” Tony says, sighing. “Didn’t even have a name. Said he didn’t “deserve” one. It was sad as hell. I called him Rick. Every kid deserves a name, right? That’s like, understood?”

“What happened?” Bruce asks.

“I was heading to the lab because, you know, nightmares, when I hear crying.” Tony says. “So I ask JARVIS who’s in there and he says it’s your body but they’ve got slightly different brainwaves. So I go in expecting Joe to have lost some money or something when this kid jerks his head up and he looks like he just got caught in hide and seek.

So I go over and he’s scurrying away from me, terrified, muttering something I couldn’t hear that was probably depressing as shit. I ask JARVIS to start running through one of my grounding exercises. At first the kid looks at me with pure fear but then he starts breathing with the recording and the next thing I know he’s clutching my hand.”

“Thank you, Tony,” Bruce says.

“Just remind me I’d be a terrible father,” Tony jokes.

“You’re a pretty good brother,” Bruce teases. Tony stiffens next to him. “Tony?”

“You don’t wanna be family with me, Bruce,” Tony responds. “Seriously, I’m… I don’t know what a family is supposed to be like. All my examples have been shit.”

“Me too,” Bruce admits. “That’s what’s interesting. Neither of us know what the hell we’re doing.”

Tony chuckles. “It is nice that you’re as confused as I am. I don’t like to be outdone.” Tony sighs, running a hand through his hair and sitting down next to Bruce. “I don’t… I don’t know how to be a good brother. I’m gonna fuck it up,” Tony warns.

“It’s fine,” Bruce says.

“And that goes for every single one of you,” Tony says. “I’m gonna be a complete mess for every single one.”

Bruce laughs. “It’s fine, Tony.”

“You sure?”

Bruce smiles. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at @gothalter on tumblr


End file.
